De Martino is a family owned winery in the Maipo Valley in the Central Valley of Chile. It was founded in 1934 by Pietro De Martino who arrived in Chile from Italy and settled in Isla de Maipo in the Maipo Valley, around 31 miles (50km) from Santiago and in Chile’s Central Valley. between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The village earned its name because it had been surrounded by a number of branches of the Maipo River until the early 20th century. A powerful earthquake and changes in climate have since dried up all but one large branch of the river. The vineyards now stand on one of the former branches of the river, which lends the soil characteristics that are unique in the valley and particularly good for vine growing. The third and fourth generations of the De Martino family now work in the winery.
Staff: Sales, marketing: Sebastian De Martino. | Winemaker: Marcelo ‘Reta’ Retamal.
Certification:1998 Organic conversion begins for some of the estate vineyards. 2001 The 300 hectares of vines in Maipo gain official organic certification from the German certification company BCS Oko-Garantie GMBH. 2014 De Martino is the second largest producer of organic wines in Chile (after Emiliana) I was told at Millésime Bio 2014 de Martino has 280 hectares of certified organic vines plus 350 hectares of non-organic vines across small plots which are logistically hard to convert to organics. 2017 300 hectares of certified organic vines in Maipo. Very few vines in the Maule are certified. No whites from Limari are certified organic. Another 20 hectares of vines in Itata and 3.5 hectares of vines in Cachapoal were also not certified.
Wines – Cachapoal range
Las Cruces: 2014 From mid-1960s ungrafted bush vines in Pichidegua in Cachapoal in the Coastal range. Field blend of mainly Malbec, plus Carmenere. Dry farmed. Savoury, good definition to the fruit (Real Wine Fair 2017).
Wines – Itata range
Gallardia di Itata, Cinsault Rosè:From ungrafted, dry farmed Cinsault bush vines planted 1982 in Guariligue in the Itata Valley, in Chile’s Coastal Mountain Range. Around 13.6 miles (22km) from the Pacific. Granitic soils. 6,900 vines per hectare (2,795 vines per acre).
Gallardia di Itata, Cinsault (Red) The red version of the Rosé, above.
Gallardia di Itata, Muscat (Corinto): Made from Muscat of Alexandria grown in the same terroir as the Cinsault wines, above. 6,900 vines per hectare (2,795 vines per acre). Planted mid-1970s. Dry farmed bush vines. Ungrafted.
Wines – Viejas Tinajas range:Made using tinajas or large earthenware jars in which the wines from this area have always been traditionally fermented.
Cinsault, Viejas Tinajas, Itata: 2014 20ppm sulfites. Very nice (Real Wine Fair 2016). | 2015 A blend of Cinsault grapes from dry farmed bush vines in the Itata valley on granitic soils.
Muscat, Viejas Tinajas, Itata: 2015 Whole berries. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfites, no pumping during winemaking. Interesting mix of cider apple and rose petal musk (Real Wine Fair 2017).
Wines – Legado range
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère.
Wines – Maipo range
Chardonnay, Quebrada Seca: 2014 Cream and oak (Real Wine Fair 2016)
Carmenere Alto ed Piedras, Maipo:.
Contact
De Martino, Chile
Bibliography
Real Wine Fair in Tobacco Dock 17-18th April 2016
Real Wine Fair in Tobacco Dock 7-8th May 2017.